We often think of world-class athletes as outliers whose dedication to training is comprehensive, right down to whatever it is they put into their bodies. Not so for high-endurance athletes like distance runners, cyclists, or triathletes, according to what a researcher from the Mayo Clinic told The New York Times Magazine.

Refueling can resemble an episode of "Man v. Food," with dinner consisting of things like a pound of pasta drizzled with olive oil (about 800 calories), a dozen eggs (840 calories), an entire cheese pizza (perhaps 2,000 calories) and a pint of Ben & Jerry's cheesecake-brownie ice cream (1,000 calories). These foods (although not this exact lineup) were described to me by dietitians and officials who work with Olympians as common training-table choices for elite endurance athletes, particularly men. Plus beer (about 150 calories a bottle).

Large quantities of pizza? Ice cream? Beer? That settles it. My own quest for the 2016 Olympics begins tonight.